When I See You Again
by Readergirl37
Summary: Because I didn't like the way they dealt with Nina quitting tvd, I wrote this because I just have a lot of feelings and I want her to be happy. Elena calls Elijah, and asks him to look after Jeremy and to be there when she wakes up. Elijah/Elena multi chapter ua. Used to be called Cor Meum.
1. Goodbye For Now

AN: I saw a fanvideo explaining the finale thing that they used to explain Nina's leaving vampire diaries and wow that was not okay, so I wrote this. It used to be called Cor Meum, but I always think of the song when I think of Elena in a coma so it was changed. Sorry for any possible confusion.

* * *

She has a few minutes left, and she dials the familiar number, hoping, praying her ally in New Orleans will pick up.

"Elena?" He sounds surprised but she doesn't have much time for pleasantries. He's survived everything, he's the oldest person she knows, she wants to make a deal. She doesn't bother trying to stop the tears. He has to make the deal. Please, she wills. Please.

"Elijah, I don't have much time. My life is tied to Bonnie's. I can't live while she does. I'll be in a coma in a few minutes, and I want to make a deal. Protect Jeremy. Please. For me." She says, and he can hear the shakiness in her breath.

"Anything else?" He asks.

"Can you be there? When you know that Bonnie's dead-can you be there?" She asks. She's asking him to be there when she wakes up into a strange world.

"We have a deal. I'm sorry to hear about that." He says, and they're talking as fast as possible.

"Me too. I'll see you when I wake up. Goodbye, Elijah." She says.

"Goodbye for now, Elena." He says and she hangs up. _I love you,_ she wants to say, but Elijah deserves to live his life-not wait for her. She's been told he's getting close to Hayley. The thought had made her heart hurt, but she had been a coward, and hadn't told him. It was her fault. Besides, if he loved Hayley, he should be with someone who made him happy.

All of her affairs are in order, she'll be in a coma in a hospital run by vampires. Stefan and Damon, and Caroline promise to check on her. Her house is still standing, the Salvatores promise to take care of it. Her journals are being copied into digital files by Caroline, and her things are either donated or saved, depending on their life span. She looks at them, looks at all of the people she loves, save one.

"I love you." She says as she feels her mind start to go. It's not to a single person, they know. It's to all of them. She falls-someone holds her before her mind goes black and she remembers the feeling of being held.


	2. In New Orleans

AN: So Elena turned and Elijah helped a little and she's never been with either Salvatore bc no. He left to rejoin Klaus in taking New Orleans and I only watch pieces, so that's not meant to be accurate either. No Hayley/Elijah here.

"Was that Elena on the phone?" Kol asks. He notes his clenched jaw and the hard look in his brother's eyes.

"Yes." Elijah says, and Kol can't remember the last time he saw Elijah this tense.

"Tell Niklaus I will be gone for a few days." His brother tells him, moving quickly-he almost doesn't see the bag that Elijah is almost done packing already.

"Why?" Kol asks.

"Elena." His brother says curtly, and he's gone.


	3. Splinters

AN: Elena is still a vampire, and I barely know anything about the way they wrote it and to be honest, I don't want to.

He punches a tree. In anger. He had spent so much time trying to protect Elena Gilbert, help her find a place in the world. Some stupid spell had changed that. The tree hadn't lived after that, and a few others had perished into splinters. He wanted to fight-anything to unleash the rage he felt, but he thought of Elena. He tucked it away, and began to make his way to Mystic Falls. He ignored his phone.


	4. Coma

No one had told her it'd be like this. Not Bonnie, Stefan or Damon, or Elijah, who had the most experience with death out of anyone she had known.

Death comas had dreams. She dreams of her friends, she dreams of Mystic Falls hospital and how it probably looks nothing like the vampire hospital that she can tell she's in. She can hear, and she wonders why no one told her. She hears Bonnie, she hears Jeremy and Caroline and everyone who cares about her, come and talk to her in the two days of coma. The odd part is that she's always partially aware. She always dreams and hears, but she never really gives in to the comfortable inky darkness. She's a little worried about what will happen if she does. She hears the nurses, and the occasional doctor, and she wonders if vampire muscles can atrophy.


	5. Baseball in Florida

He calls Caroline, he gets the number from Klaus when he's closer, when he's calmed down. Klaus asks what the hell he's doing, _he needs his brother_ and Elijah replies that he has Kol as well. He has to do this. Caroline seems surprised by the call, and she tells him the address and room number of Elena's hospital room. He tells her of his vow to protect Jeremy. She doesn't sound surprised by that, and he wonders if things are strained between the two friends now that Elena is essentially gone. Caroline gives him Jeremy's address too, in Florida. He's playing baseball-he got a scholarship and Caroline gushes for a moment about how exciting it is for him. Elijah thinks that she sounds like Elena. He thanks her, and she tells him it's not a problem but she really has to go. They say their farewells and he hangs up.

He makes his way to Elena.


	6. Every Sunday

She hears someone familiar, and she wishes she could _see_. There's something warm and familiar against her hand. It's someone else's hand, she realizes, and she listens for the voice of the hand's owner.

"Elena." The voice says, and she wants to mention that they never really say hello, just say each other's names. She wonders if he knows if she can hear or not. Part of her is happy he's holding her hand. The other part is worried about what it means. He sighs, and his stays in hers. He wishes he had told her how he felt before she had slipped into a coma. But he tells her about almost everything else. He expresses his regret, and he tells her how he's adjusting to life in New Orleans. He tells her that Hayley is trying to flirt with Klaus, and that he has no interest in a romantic relationship with anyone. He doesn't mention the only person he'd want to be in a relationship is a few feet away in a coma. He tells her stories of the times he's been staked and had to adjust. It's reassuring, and she wishes she could look at him. She wishes she could squeeze his hand. He doesn't mention that he hopes she can hear, he has honestly never heard of the spell used on her. He's been there for hours, he tells her. He doesn't want to leave, and so he doesn't. He mentions Caroline, he tells her about Jeremy's baseball scholarship and how he will visit Jeremy as frequently as possible. He vows to talk to her as much as possible, he doesn't mention it's just a running monologue or that he has no idea if she even wants to hear him each week-or even if she can hear. He promises every Sunday. She plans to hold him to it.


	7. Often

He tells her, once his throat is barely able to make noise and he is hungry-his throat hurts-he tells her he can't ever remember talking this long. She wants to say it's because he's so concise. The words can't come out. She wonders if he'll ever try to take a glimpse into her head. She wonders if they could talk that way.

He sounds sad and his voice is rough, his accent is thicker when he tells her goodbye. She wishes she could cry, but she's just floating in the darkness. No way to move anything. The concept of a body is vague, and abstract. Like memories that fade if she thinks too hard about it. But she can feel.

He vows as soon as possible-he'll be there the next Sunday. He promises to tell her about Jeremy, and her friends. Then, he lets go of her hand. The feeling of warm is gone, and she's alone with her thoughts again. She feels like that will happen often.


	8. Can't

AN: Please review I have absolutely no idea if this is complete rubbish or not!

She falls into a schedule, each day when the nurses make their rounds, they tell her the date and time. They tell her the days of the week and important news as they change her IV of blood. Then they go, and it varies, who visits. Caroline has Mondays, Jeremy has a weird phone call monologue on Tuesdays and sometimes one of the Salvatores talks to her later in the week. She looks forward to Sundays the most. Elijah never struggles to find a topic to tell her about. Caroline tells her that she's been working on designing a fashion line, and Elena wishes she could speak to tell her that's great and she's proud, but Caroline tells her that she knows. She can't stand everyone being so damn sad while they spend time with her. Caroline gives her a few one sided hugs in the first few weeks. She sprays Elena with the perfume she always uses, she tells her. Elena realizes that she doesn't smell like herself in a hospital and that Caroline can't take it. Jeremy tells her about college life, she always wonders who answers his calls for her and puts her phone on speaker so she can hear him. He's doing well in baseball. The Salvatores tell her different news, Stefan tells her he's leaving to go to law school, but he'll check in as much as possible, and she's always sure that Damon is drinking or drunk when he talks to her, because he asks if she sees Ric, and what it's like. He asks how she's doing and he tells her how much he drank since he last saw her. Damon was in love with her, she had realized it long ago. She had never returned the feelings, and after a while he just stops coming.

Elijah is like a breath of fresh air, he's always moving-he's not too affected by her condition, at least. She promises him that she'll make it up to him, having to observe Jeremy for so long-she'll mention it when she wakes up. He plays music, sometimes. Sometimes she can almost hear him singing with it. He tells her that Jeremy and Kol are going to the same college and that her brother doesn't seem to mind. Kol tells him how Jeremy's doing, and he still visits, he tells her-but half as frequently. He mentions how he's doing, he has her hand, he always holds one of her hands while he's talking, other than Caroline he's the only one to touch her. It makes her feel more solid. Like she's more real. He tells her about books he's read that week, and he tells her of the little things he's doing for her. For one, he's making her a book list and a list of things to catch up on. He promises to help her navigate back into the world when it's all over. He tells her what his appearance looks like, and assures her his hair is still short, and she wants to tell him thank gods, she can't even remember what he looked like with long hair. He tells her that Klaus is King of New Orleans, as he had so desired, and that Caroline's fashion designs are actually quite stunning and that he's set her up with a few connections he has. _Thank you._ She wants to say. She can't.


	9. The Playlist

AN: siberia21 review I think this is the longest I've gone without holding off posting the rest of what I have until you've given me your opinion tbh

It's months of the same routine. Jeremy has to cancel sometimes-practice, Caroline is busy now too, and she still comes, but Elijah is always constant. One day, Saturday, she thinks, Bonnie comes in. She hasn't heard Bonnie's voice since the beginning. She cries, and she tells Elena she's sorry. She's sorry that they can't live at the same time. She's sorry for not coming in sooner and that there isn't a way out and she's sorry she was scared that Elena would be angry. She goes on for an hour, and she apologizes again, and leaves.

Elijah comes in even earlier than usual, and he tells her it's almost midnight on a Saturday. He takes her hand, and tells her about his crazy week. He tells her that Jeremy is completely fine, and that he's doing very well in games and practice. He might even be able to make a career out of it, being a professional baseball player. He tells her that Kol is doing fine, Rebekah is having fun at being in New Orleans with Klaus. His flight was moved forward a few hours and he looked forward to the extra time with her. He sighs, and she can hear the frustration.

"I wish I knew that you could hear me." He confesses. _Enter my mind, Elijah!_ She wants to scream at him. He rubs his thumb against her hand absently. He tells her that he only dreamed while being staked. Sometimes it was just darkness. She wonders if it hurts him. Being dry hurts, she's been told. He mentions that he's been paying her hospital costs, his family is very old, and it's not a problem. He tells her they have more money than they could possibly spend, although Rebekah does give it a valiant effort. She can picture how he grins when he says that, and she wishes she could squeeze his hand. Just that. Then there's music and she pays attention to the lyrics, what she'll have to think about until he returns-and the songs are lovely.

"I made a playlist, as Rebekah calls it, for you." He says, as she recognizes the song from the ball.

"I've asked the nurses to play it when you don't have company. I'll add more songs when I come back next week, but I doubt you'll get bored with it. There's enough music on it to play it for five days straight and not hear the same song. She's impressed, and he tells her about modern events. He also tells her that Caroline had designs in Paris fashion week, and that she's growing in popularity in the fashion world. Elena wishes she could grin. He reads her poetry, a new idea to their routine. She doesn't mind. She loves his voice.


	10. Decade

AN: I'm so sorry I put you all through this much angst. A decade has passed in the story. So for you math inclined people that's like 520 visits.

It's been a decade, he tells her. Jeremy is playing professionally still, and Caroline visits as much as she can, although it gets reduced to phone calls usually. Jeremy does the same, they're becoming less frequent. He still talks to her once a month. She wonders if he wishes she were dead. It would be easier for everyone, they could have moved on by now. Bonnie is still too freaked out about the fact she's the only thing separating Elena from going out and living her life. And a spell, but that's beside the point.

She's found a coven, Elijah tells her. Stefan was a good lawyer for a while before he faked his death-something that seems to amuse him. Elena wonders why Stefan wasn't a lawyer for vampires, something Elijah voices. She's glad she's not human. She doesn't think she could take waking up in a body she wasn't familiar with. She wasn't happy to be vampire until she got the hang of it. With help from everyone. The playlist he made a few years ago is almost always playing in her room. He adds songs every so often, and she wants to thank him for not letting her go insane. His thumb traces shapes on the back of her hand as he reads more poetry to her. Someday they'll get through all of the books he wants to. He updates her on the world, he tells her Matt is doing well-he got married and has a child. A human life she almost wanted, she thinks. It's not what she wants anymore.

He stays until his flight leaves Monday night, save for a few hours of changing and hygiene and a few calls. She can never tell when she's clean. By the way the room sounds those nights, she thinks he fell asleep in her room. She can hear breathing, and the grip on her hand is looser. She wonders what he dreams about.


	11. Fiancee

One Saturday, she gets a phone call from Jeremy. It's hard for him to accept that she's missing out on her life-he had always imagined her here for this. He tells her, with a shaking and deeper voice than she had remembered, that he's getting married. He's fallen in love. He promises to record all of the wedding that he can have recorded, and he keeps it together as he explains that he can't take his fiancee to see her. She's his _older_ sister and then he breaks down. His fiancee doesn't know she exists. How could she? Trying to tell his soon to be wife about vampires sound like he's doing drugs again. He apologizes, but she understands. It just hurts. A sad song comes up on the playlist and Elena tries to remember the lyrics as it plays. She wonders (if she had control of her body) if she would cry or not. She can't tell. He tells her Caroline is helping plan and set up, and that even that's tricky. Caroline looks younger, and he has to assure his fiancee that their relationship is like a brother and a-he pauses. He's given Caroline Elena's place in his life. Now Elena knows she would cry if she could. She hears a female voice in the background, and he promises to make recordings. Someday, he almost trails off. She knows what he means. Someday she'll listen and someday they'll be all she has left.


	12. De-nial

AN: Kudos to anyone who notices the True Blood reference

Elijah tells her about Jeremy's wedding plans, he's invited to go in a few months. He tells her of the magic of New Orleans, and how she must let him take her there. He's started a travel list too. He has Spain and Prague and most of Europe on the list. He's wonderful. He knows how to distract her. She wants to cry at the thought that he will have known her longer in a coma than when she was really alive. He tells her stories, of hilarious mix ups and he tells her a few more on places he's loved. He stays as long as possible, and his hand in hers is always a welcome sensation.

She dreams of places she's never seen when she decides to stop thinking. Dreaming is a little scary-she hasn't done very much in her first decade. She wakes up not knowing what day or time it is. She misses colors. When she wakes, she'll never wear black. She hopes Elijah has a few gray suits because she wants to never see him in black again either.

He tells her that Caroline is coming to see her in the next week, something that worries her. She hadn't heard from Caroline in a while. She has an impressive fashion empire, Elijah tells her. She's stayed out of the media, no one knows what the head of Forbes fashion looks like _aged._ Elijah has advised her to fake her death in a few decades, and make herself an heir to all she has. Bonnie is doing well, the coven she belongs to doesn't like Originals, so he keeps his distance. Jeremy has taken Kol out of his life. He wants human normalcy, she can't fault him for it. She thought she wanted the same thing. He tells her about the other patients, he tells her about the blonde vampire who had a witch mess with her face in return for something, he's sure. He tells her of the vampire baby ward, babies that have a very boring existence, they're never mature enough to be able to do anything. When the person giving birth takes vampire blood to help and dies, and the baby dies as well, they're both vampires. It sounds terrible to her. He points out baby vampires, other vampires in the hospital with magic related injuries, and some have surgery to carefully remove bullets that were too close or touching their hearts. There's more reasons than she could have thought have to be in the hospital. One of the nurses comes in, but she's new, Elena can tell because she asks Elijah if she's his fiancee or love.

"Neither." He keeps his tone neutral. The woman just looks at him. She has no idea he's an Original.

"Honey, someday you'll figure out that de-nial isn't just a river in Egypt." They both hear her say and leave.

"That was unexpected." He says, and she wants to laugh. Of course he's not in love with her. He's just a man of honor and his word. Her ally. He's not in love with her. That would be too cruel. Sixty years of not being able to say the words to him is going to kill her. Maybe someday he will be, but she highly doubts he is now. He's living in New Orleans after all. It's a city filled with pretty people and history. Or at least, she thinks. She's never been.


	13. Caroline

Caroline visits, she tells Elena she's been keeping her in designer clothing. Elena has no idea she's been wearing Caroline's creations for a few years. The new information is startling. Caroline has both of her hands as she talks, and she's sorry that life is crazy, and she doesn't mention Bonnie, but she mentions everything else. She says Klaus keeps trying to date her, but she's not going to go on a date with him unless Elena gives her permission. She's hoping that by telling Klaus that, he'll back off. She's there for an entire day, and Elena feels the vague sensation of pressure. Caroline gets personal and a little weird when sleepy, she always has-and she asks her in a quiet, relaxed voice if she sees anyone. What her coma is like. She tells Elena she doesn't want to be rude, but she wants to know if maybe Elena can see her dad? Or Jenna? Or anybody?

Elena misses the feeling of something against her, probably Caroline's body when the fellow vampire leaves. She's never really had a need for personal space with Bonnie or Caroline.


	14. Niklaus

The next days pass with just music. She hears Elijah first, and she's alarmed, because he isn't holding her hand. He always holds her hand when he's talking. Then she pays attention and she feels real fear for the first time in a decade.

"Elena, I apologize. Niklaus has insisted on seeing you." Elijah says, and then he has her hand, and she's relieved because she can still almost feel it.

"I can't believe it." She hears Klaus say.

"Niklaus." Elijah's voice is hard and sharp, and she hears movement.

"Thank you. Do not touch her." He says, and Elena wants to thank Elijah.

"So are you alive in there?" Klaus asks.

"Niklaus." Elijah sighs.

"She's never been able to respond?" Klaus asks.

"No." The word is soft, and tinged with sadness. It reminds Elena of the times she would sit on the couch, sharing a blanket with Bonnie and Caroline while they watched sad movies.

"It's magic, Niklaus. The only way for her to wake up is Bonnie Bennett's death." Elijah sounds tired.

"We could turn her into a vampire." Klaus suggests.

"No." The single word from Elijah is firm.

"They were warned to not try to break the spell or they both die. I will not let you risk their lives. Bonnie wants to stay a witch. Also I do not want Elena to hate me for your foolish mistake." He adds, like an afterthought. Klaus laughs. It's genuine and Elena's never heard it before.

"Of course, brother. A king is the most wrathful when his love is upset." He says and Elijah's hand is out of hers. She hears a scuffle-what she doesn't see is Elijah holding Klaus by his throat a few feet in the air. She can't hear Elijah quietly telling Klaus to leave and that his comment was unneeded. Then she hears the sound of expensive shoes landing on the floor, and then Elijah's hand is in hers again. He apologizes, and tells her about his week, Jeremy's wedding is coming up soon. He tells her that he drove this time, and he might stay an extra day. She's happy, but she's worried he's missing out on his own life when he does that.

He tells her of the plans for Jeremy's wedding, and how Rebekah and Kol are doing. He tells her he wrote another book, and he's in the process of publishing again. He stays that night, and his hand stays in hers almost the entire time of his visit.


	15. Irritated

"He's right, Bekah. Elena Gilbert is in some magical coma." Klaus tells her, as soon as he's in the door of their home.

"Why does he bother visiting?" She asks with a sigh.

"You know why, Bekah. He's in love with her. However, when I pointed out this detail, he told me to leave. Well, actually he did more than that, almost crushed my throat, he's very protective of her." Klaus tells her, setting his bag down.

"I haven't seen him like this in a very long time." He notes.

"Me either. Why is our brother's curse to love the Petrova doppelgangers?" Rebekah sighs.

"I think this one might love him back." Klaus tell her. Rebekah looks alarmed.

"What do you mean?" She demands to know.

"He told me something. She called him with her last non coma breath. asking him to look after her brother." Klaus tells her.

"So?" Rebekah asks.

"He was the last person she talked to before she went comatose. You don't think that means something?" Kol asks, entering the room.

Rebekah just looks irritated.


	16. Wedding

AN: This fic will be wrapped up by Wednesday, and you all are so lovely for reviewing! I love your reviews! Thank you guys so much!

Another decade has passed, He tells her, Jeremy has two children. He keeps his distance of course, but he talks to Jeremy weekly. His wife knows that they are friends, and he doesn't think her brother has explained anything to his wife or children. They grow vervain in their yard, disguised with other white flowers-given to them by Elijah. The wedding was beautiful, she had been told. Jeremy had toasted to her. Elijah had attended, and there had been an empty seat next to him. He told her how his wife asked Caroline and him, much later, when the after party was thinning out-who Elena was. And why her husband looked like someone had died. Caroline had gently explained, that Elena was Jeremy's sister, technically cousin, and she had explained his family tree-and that Elena had died when they were teenagers. Caroline added that she and Elijah had known her briefly. Jeremy rarely acknowledged it.

"He's the only Gilbert left." Caroline had told her, hoping the human would understand.

"He and Elena were so close, especially after all of the loss they went through. His parents died in a car accident when he and Elena were younger, and then their aunt Jenna died, her boyfriend Ric who was like a father to them. Elena's parents died too, all within a few years. He's been through a lot." _Be gentle with him. He's not damaged, don't treat him like that, just be aware._ Caroline wanted to say, but there were tears in her eyes, and Elijah led her away.

Elena's surprised at the world, how it's changed. She feels selfish for even thinking of it, but there have been a few times she had wished Bonnie would hurry up. Then she had berated herself-Bonnie deserved to live and have a life. There was so much time to think. Elijah kept her mind sharp, he had added podcasts and lectures in the playlist. She feels trapped. Like she'll never get out.


	17. Thirty Years

It seems like she's been there for centuries, but it's just been three decades. Elijah is still punctual, he stays longer nowadays. Elena is thankful. She feels like she's lost. He's like a compass she can almost feel in the dark. She's barely slept in three decades. She vows when she wakes to go as long as possible without sleep. Elijah keeps her informed, and he's published a few more books. He doesn't mention their contents to her.

She wants to blink. She misses it all. She misses blinking, and the feeling of breathing. She even misses drinking blood, she misses sensations. She misses feeling. She misses hugging and running and laughing and talking, she misses talking the most. She's glad she's a vampire, because when it's all over, she'll spend a few straight weeks remembering everything and writing it down. Elena wonders where the digital copies of her diaries are. Elijah tells her more stories, and she feels terrible this decade that he's wasting part of his life away for her. She doesn't see him look at her like she's more valuable than anything he's ever seen.


	18. Hug

It's not the first time, but it's the first time he's voiced it to anyone else. He's talking to Kol. It seems like the longer Elena stays comatose, the less emotional Elijah becomes. He's always a little softer after returning, but he's not like he was just a decade ago.

"I think he's truly in love with her." Klaus says, and Kol snorts.

"I figured that out before the end of the first decade." He informs Klaus.

Klaus just looks annoyed. But it's true, none of them have ever seen Elijah fall this hard. He still does the things he needs to, he helps Klaus and Kol when needed, he spends time with his family, but to Kol it always seems like he's left a part of himself at the hospital.

They never voice it to Elijah, and certainly not to Rebekah who claims he's just being honorable, because he's weak where doppelgangers are concerned.

Elijah is ruthless now when it comes to fighting, Klaus has never seen him rip out hearts so quickly. He grows concerned, but Elijah assured them he was fine. Their enemies would never get past him.

And it's true, until someone gives the order for a few vampires to follow where Elijah goes every weekend. There's all sorts of speculation, and whatever he's going to see might be a weakness. A chink in the Original Family's armor. So they follow him, he drives this time. He has an apartment in the building nearest to the hospital that he has a lease on now, he's barely there, but it's worth the money. He sets his suitcase down and pauses. He hears whispering about how someone's phone is dead, and oh great-how are they going to tell the boss what the Mikaelson is up to now? He pauses. He takes great lengths to make his movements exaggerated, the vampires that he now knows for sure are following him are out of sight. He had his suspicions, they hadn't been very discreet during his journey back to Elena. He walks to the hospital, and he knows they're behinds him. They're not discreet. He takes their hearts out in seconds, and leaves them for the sun to burn. He has more important matters to attend to. He counts the voices he had heard, and the number of bodies. No survivors. Not that it bothers him-he did what he needed to. The idea of anyone kidnapping Elena makes his blood feel like magma. He enters the hospital with literal blood on his hands, and no one minds. Or at least, no one mentions it. He realizes distantly on his way to Elena's room that he needs to wash the blood off. He's fairly sure that in any state, she does not want stranger's blood on her hands. He washes his hands, wondering how many times he's ripped out hearts. He wishes he could rip out the heart of the person who did this to Elena. Actually, no, he decides. That would be too quick, too kind. He's with Elena as soon as possible. He's holding her hand again, and he wishes he could venture into her head-but it's an invasion of privacy and he's not sure if he could make things worse.

If he enters her head and she's not sleeping it could have serious consequences. The mind while awake is more active, one little thing could set it off. He rubs his thumb against her knuckles, out of habit.

He closes his eyes, ignoring his phone, assuming it's Klaus until he realizes it's Caroline's ringtone. She had taken his phone and put her number in, telling him to call her if he ever needed anything. She knew what it was like to miss Elena. She kept busy, however and he never wanted to interrupt her.

"Hello?" He asks, knowing it'd be Caroline.

"I've been meaning to do this, I sent you pictures of Elena. I was looking at them today, I almost forgot what her eyes like." Caroline confesses. He takes a moment to let it sink in.

"Thank you, Caroline." He says, and she seems to know the depth of the action.

"I miss her too." She whispers into the phone.

"I miss her. She's my best friend, and Bonnie's coven isn't very vampire friendly. I have to keep myself busy or it all gets too much, you know?" She asks and he does. He wonders if Bonnie's coven does life lengthening spells. He can see himself waiting for Elena for centuries, but he doesn't want to. It's a selfish want, Elena has forever like he does. Bonnie doesn't. They can wait, but he has so many things he want to discuss with Elena. Not just one sided monologues.

"I do." He says and she wants to cry, and she asks him to put her on speakerphone so she can talk to Elena. He does, and she doesn't mind Elijah's presence apparently, because she delves into the beginning of their friendship and talks to Elena about first impressions and when they were children. She tells her that even though everyone said they missed the older version of Elena, the "fun" Elena-she just missed Elena, period. She misses Elena like crazy. She tells Elena that her mom isn't doing well. She asks Elijah to please leave them alone for a few minutes, and he agrees to it, going to get coffee or something else from the hospital out of boredom. He takes as long as possible, vaguely listening to Caroline, enough to know she's talking, and when he hears his name, her tunes in, and hears her ask to talk to him. He's back in the room with whatever he spent time making, coffee-he learns. His mind was somewhere else.

"I got it all off my chest." Caroline tells him when he tells her he's there.

"That's good." He says.

"Tell Klaus what I said still stands." She adds, before she says goodbye.

"I will. Goodbye, Caroline." He says and she hangs up. He wonders what she told Elena, but it's none of his business. It's so odd to see her in the hospital, because she's dressed in clothes from Caroline, someone changes her clothes. She'd look like she'd wake up any minute except for the peaceful expression on her face. He continues talking to her, tells her that he's finished his series of books for this decade. He tells her they're about living in war times, most of it just his experiences and thoughts. They sell well, and he wonders if she'll ever love history again. He almost didn't mention it, _Alaric_ -her almost uncle and history teacher-that had to have reminded her of him. He didn't want her in more pain than she already was. He shifts topics, telling her of Rebekah and Caroline's tentative friendship, he mentions that he didn't listen to what Caroline told her, and thus apologizes if he's repeating things her friend has already said.

She wonders if he's ever considered a career just using his voice. It's one of the most familiar things she knows, now. She had missed his hand in hers. She's barely ever touched him, she vows that when she wakes, she'll hug him. She'll want to hold onto something, why not choose her anchor to the world of the alive?

He tells her things she doesn't understand, in languages she doesn't recognize, and she recognizes it when he shifts languages, but he's quiet as he talks, and she's almost lulled to sleep. No. She fights it, her time with Elijah is only one or two days at best each week.

He is in the middle of his sentence when his phone rings. He apologizes to her, in English.

"I took care of it." He says after a moment.

"They were in the parking lot. Yes, followed me here. Not discreet about it either, I might add." Elijah says, and his voice sounds harder. There's a long pause and then he says,

"The parking lot, Niklaus. Yes, they're still there."

"The sun will burn them away come morning." Elijah says, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"I will deal with it Tuesday. Yes. Goodbye, Niklaus." He says, and hangs up. He tells her that there were vampires following him to his apartment near the hospital. He dealt with them accordingly them in the parking lot and left the bodies to burn come morning. She wonders if he killed for his privacy or for her. It wouldn't be the first time for either, she imagines.

She wishes she could feel herself breathing. She wants to remember what being _real_ feels like. She feels like she'll float away when Elijah lets go of her hand.

Caroline's mom is sick. Really sick. She's dying and Caroline sees her as much as possible. Children are supposed to outlive their children, but it's still hard on both of them. Caroline tells her everything she hadn't said in three decades. She kept telling Elena she loved her, a reassurance, almost every other sentence. Elena has never wished more for the ability to hug.


	19. Jeremy

He stays the night, and stays until Tuesday night, telling her stories from his childhood. They're fascinating, and sometimes he gets carried away in explaining before returning to the story. It's an interesting look into his life. He leaves, he has other responsibilities, but he promises to come back early, Rebekah is holding a ball in a few days to try and play matchmaker. He doesn't want romance, he assures Elena. At least, not from Rebekah's doing.

He does come back early, Saturday and leaves on Monday that week. She's listening to new scientific discoveries when he comes back. She wonders who updates her phone, if they're even called that anymore. He apologizes when he walks in. Liz Forbes has passed away. Elena wishes she could cry. She wants to bawl, let sobs take over her body. She can't. He tells her that the service was lovely, and he held Caroline's hand for her. Jeremy didn't show up. He's told Elijah that the "vampire chapter" of his life is closed. He wants Elijah to stop talking to him so frequently. Elijah tells Elena he'll still keep an eye on him. Just from a farther distance now. Jeremy's kids are growing up quickly, the girl is older, and named Jenna-the younger boy is named Matt. She's heard the names before, knows that they're the names to her niece and nephew, but it feels like a terrible dream. She's missing out on her life. She's missing the big moments.


	20. 41 years

AN: Song for this chapter: The Man Who Sold The World

Years pass in an odd time lapse. She wonders if her voice will work when she wakes. She still has a concept of time, but it all seems to blur together. One day, Elijah comes in with his hand in hers, tight. She's distantly worried about her fingers, she can almost really feel her hand-and he sighs deeply.

"Jeremy has dementia." He tells her. Matt was closest to Jeremy, and he kept Elijah fairly informed on the younger Gilbert. Matt had called him when Jeremy started ranting about vampires. He had to erase that part of his memories, he tells Elena. He might go mad otherwise. He tells her that he still knows she's alive, in a coma. Someday, he sighs, he'll give him back the memories, so she can see him and talk to him. When she wakes up. The next day will mark forty one years of her coma, he tells her. It'd make her head spin if she knew she had one. She hopes Jeremy is okay. Caroline visits occasionally, and one Sunday Elijah tells her he's moving to see her everyday, he hopes it's okay. Half of her memories are just Elijah at this point, she welcomes it.

She's never asleep. She never wants to sleep again, she's terrified that she'll have nightmares or miss something, or worse-she won't wake up again.


	21. Sixty Six

AN: We're down to the last chapters here dear readers! I have to leave my computer for three days and that will suck, so I'm uploading these next few chapters before Wednesday, I plan to work on my other fics, including Colors while I'm gone. As always I love your reviews and I love hearing if I did okay! Also, I considered doing a scene with Damon, but I didn't like how it turned out.

Sometimes, he doesn't talk, he's just sitting in one of those uncomfortable, plastic hospital chairs. Or so she assumes. She wonders if he's invested in a comfortable chair to sit next to her in- holding her hand and moving his fingers against her hand like only he does. Sometimes he thinks aloud, and she wonders why he's letting himself rot away with her. The years pass, and he still has no idea when Bonnie will die. It's been forty five years. She hears him call Kol, and Caroline and Klaus and Rebekah over that time, Klaus wants him to come home and Elijah says things she can't hear. It's not until the forty sixth year that anything feels different. She feels good somehow. The inky darkness turns to a dark gray that's a little less scary. He swears her hand twitches against his one day, but she can't control anything. They listen to Caroline tell them that Bonnie has a heart issue, something from her father's side. Elena wants to stay in the inky darkness longer, sixty six years is short, even by human standards. Bonnie deserves better. It can't be helped, it's what killed her grandmother and her mother- Elena and Elijah had both missed that funeral. Elijah hadn't known until after it had happened. Not that he thought Bonnie would want him there anyway. It was better that way. He does business most days, she can hear the clicking of keys and tapping against glass screens as he tells her about things he'd seen in his very long lifetime.


	22. Still Sane

AN: Just saying, if Elena is human in canon, they maybe shouldn't have put her in a coffin with limited air? Once she wakes up she'll just suffocate?

Caroline calls him in tears, she's at Bonnie's house. Bonnie is dying, and nothing can save her, not magic or vampires or faith. He hears the request and he puts his phone on speakerphone, and Bonnie speaks.

"I love you, Elena. I'm so sorry." Why she's apologizing, Elijah doesn't know, Caroline requests that he hangs up, and he does. It's a waiting game. He feels her hand twitch in his, and it's an hour until he hears her take deep lungfuls of air, as if she's been starved for air for those forty six years. She blinks and he looks at her with what he hopes is a neutral face, and she opens her mouth and nothing comes out. She clears her throat, and he stands up, and he's being pressed against the wall before he knows what's happening. Elena is hugging him, and she's sobbing.

"Bonnie is dead. Caroline's mom is dead. Who else?" She rasps.

"No one else." He assures her, and her face is in his shoulder, he's wearing gray thank gods, and she tries to say everything at once, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She's shaking as she does. Her legs are a little unsteady. He wraps his arms around her waist as she cries.

"Thank you." She says and her voice is still rough, and he wants to ask but then she tells him.

"I could hear. I could feel. Thank you for keeping me sane, Elijah. I loved all of your stories. Thank you." She keeps crying and he notices her empty IV.

"I'm so sorry you had to waste part of your life to keep your promise." She says, and if she wasn't cemented against him he'd look her in the eyes and shake his head because it was worth it.

"I love you." She says, and he stops breathing.

"I mean, I loved you before I went into a coma." She tells him and takes a breath, he can tell she has more to say so he stays silent.

"I spent the entire coma in love with you and I never got to tell you." She confesses, and he doesn't know how they could be physically closer, she won't let go and she's still shaking.

"I love you too. Before the coma as well." He admits, and his fingers trace patterns on her back as a new wave of tears come out.

"I'm sorry we had to wait so long." She apologizes.

"It's not your fault. Besides, I promised you always and forever." He says, and she's still hugging him.


	23. Phone Call

He did get a chair, she notices. He tells her he'll get it later, and she won't stop touching him. Even when she puts on brand new sneakers with flowers on them from Caroline's line of shoes. Not that he minds, but she hasn't given a reason yet, and she's still shaking a little. They take her clothes from Caroline, in her arms, she's determined to fit it all into her arms and not let go of him-and he checks her out of the hospital, and tells them they'll be back later. The vampire at the desk nods, and tells him the room will stay untouched. He leads her out, into the night, the darkness is unnerving, it feels like a dream. He leads her to his apartment, fairly basic in terms of furniture, he barely used the bed, let alone anything else. But there's blood in the fridge, and after she switches his hand for an elbow looped in hers, she places her clothes in an empty part of his closet. He gives her a few blood bags before he takes off his shoes, and she does the same. She lets go for a moment, and he looks at her with concern until he realizes she's attempting to take his suit jacket off. It's off and thrown perfectly onto a chair when he realizes, and even then, she's pressed into his side. He maneuvers the comforter so it covers her, even though he knows it's unlikely that she's cold.

"I keep thinking this is a dream, but it doesn't feel like it. I never would dream of you having blue walls." She says, and he looks around the room like he hadn't noticed the paint color before.

"Why not?" He inquires.

"I always think you'd go with darker colors." She says honestly. His phone rings, and he wraps an arm around her and then answers it.

"Elijah?" Caroline asks.

"Yes?" The Original asks.

"Is Elena okay?" She asks, and Elena wants to cry again, so she does. She hasn't been able to for decades.

"She's fine Caroline, she's right here." He says, and hands his phone to Elena.

"Care?" Her voice comes out thickly and Caroline starts crying.

"I missed you so much, Elena." Her best friend says and Elena cries with her, Elijah is a comforting presence as she begins her mourning process. Caroline asks them to come to the funeral, she has an apartment with two bedrooms nearby and she can't go alone. Not again.

"Caroline." Elena says, her voice breaking-

"I'm so sorry about your mom." Elena says, and Elijah is in awe of her again. Most people would mourn their missed opportunities gone by, Elena missed funerals, she missed _people_. She always put others first. With a pen and paper, something Elena is almost stunned to see, they work out that they'll leave to see Caroline tomorrow. Caroline has to hang up because of time differences, and she needs to be ready for the next day, and Elena has her head by his collarbone for a while, her breathing is steadying. He asks her quietly if she's asleep and she looks at him like he stabbed her.

"I can't. I can't sleep." She tells him, shaking her head and he wonders what her coma was like, not for the first time. He asks her what her coma was like. She takes a deep breath and starts from the beginning.


	24. Humming

AN: Don't judge me, for like the longest time Jenna was my third fav character. Song of this chapter: Warriors by Imagine Dragons

He keeps the lights on, what Elena experienced sounded terrifying. He understand the hatred of black clothing now, he's happy that her made her that playlist. Even with as much time as he spends in his own head, he can always get out. He knows Elena has always been strong, stronger than most gave her her credit for-but she might be the strongest person he knows. He can't imagine doing what she did. He stays awake with Elena, realizing there's no one else who knows as much about him as she does. He's never been so close to someone else as he is with Elena, stuck to him like someone used industrial glue. She's exhausted, forty six years with very little sleep has to be tiring-but he talks about anything that comes to mind, he helps her keep her eyes open. If she's going to stay awake, he will too.

He wishes there was a way to have broken the spell-she and Bonnie could have lived their lives together. As friends. Instead, Bonnie rarely visited, worried the caster would think she was trying to break the spell-he realizes. He's sure Elena's already aware. She tells him of what everyone said, from the relief she felt when he said her name and held her hand for the first time, she explains how much it meant that she could almost physically feel it-she tells him that Caroline really needed support, and she didn't want to date Klaus, not really. Elena almost cries again, but Caroline tells her she doesn't want to date Klaus because of what he did. Elena wasn't the only one who had looked up to Jenna. She missed her too.

He nods, he's not entirely surprised. It's almost like a dream to have her here. talking. He was worried he'd never hear her voice again, or see her eyes except for pictures.

She feels secure, he's lived through hundreds of years, and his presence is comforting. Sometime, early in the morning, she stops shaking, and she stays sitting up. Over forty years of being on her back in a hospital bed-he can't blame her. He tells her peaceful, happy stories as his hand traces patterns on her leg, his other arm wrapped around her torso still.

She tells him of lighthearted memories as well, and he can feel the pain rolling off her. He wanted to kiss her for so long-but now is not that time. He waited that long, he can wait longer. He'd wait centuries for Elena. Not that he wants to, but he would. Elena's well-being is much more important than anything he wants. She loves him too. It seems surreal. He hums when he can't think of anything to say, and she moves her head from his shoulder. Her eyes are soft, and she moves her head back to his shoulder.

She hums with him, and they don't talk for a while.


	25. Steps

AN: I'm thinking thirty chapters at longest because I have 4 hours to write this before I leave my computer, sorry! If I do well with this I'll update colors too! Song for this chapter: Dakota by Rocket to the Moon. Also, I want to do Bonnie's funeral, talking to Jeremy, seeing Caroline and a few other things.

"Can we get breakfast when it's breakfast time?" She asks suddenly.

"Of course." He says, and his phone rings. His fingers stop tracing patterns and he picks up his phone.

"Yes, Niklaus?" Elijah asks, and she can hear it-she can hear what Klaus is saying.

"Is she awake yet?" Klaus asks.

"Yes, she is." Elijah says, and Klaus sounds surprised.

"Hello doppelganger." They hear Kol say, and then there's a bit of an odd scuffle over the phone.

"So when are you coming back, Elijah?" Klaus asks carefully.

"When Elena wants to." Elijah says, looking at her.

"How soon?"

"A few weeks, perhaps." He says and Elena nods.

"Okay." Klaus says, and he hangs up.

"It's just about to be seven am." He tells her. She asks where the bathroom is, it's been almost five decades since she's washed her own hair and it's starting to get to her. She lets go of his hand, and it's fine ,she tells herself because she wouldn't have dreamed this. Her other dreams never made this much sense, and so she turns on the water-it's been so long since she's felt something that wasn't room temperature. She sets the water to scalding, getting a washcloth and taking a moment to enjoy feeling. While she's in the shower, he calls Caroline and asks her what products Elena used to use. Caroline sends him a list and he tells Elena he'll be back in a few minutes, she can hear through the door.

She's sure she's removed a layer of skin by scrubbing too hard, but she feels almost like herself. She smells like Elijah, and she finds that she doesn't mind. She turns off the water, feeling better. She remembers something she once read. Getting better isn't always a straight line, sometimes has steps, and other times it has leaps and detours and stops. So she'll take the steps she can. She exits the bathroom, her hair in a towel and in another matching towel.

"I feel so much better." She tells him.

"I have a few things that might improve that." He tells her, and she looks surprised. She sees her old perfume, they still make it-the closest things to her hair care routine and a new brush. She hugs him again, noting his suit jacket. She moves back after a few seconds, realizing she's probably making his suit wet. She smiles and takes a deep breath. Steps, she reminds herself.


	26. Breakfast

She gets dressed in a pair of jeans that seemed new, and a long sleeved shirt and jacket. Nothing black. She notes the Forbes labels and grins, Caroline knew her well when it came to her style.

"After you get ready, can we go get breakfast? I missed food." She says and he nods. She brushes her hair as she hears the shower run, she'll brush her teeth once he's getting dressed. She wishes she had a straightener, she wonders if Katherine is still alive. She hopes Jeremy will be at Bonnie's funeral. She makes a note to ask Elijah.

He comes out wrapped in a towel, and she looks over when she hears the door opening. Elijah looks very good shirtless, and she looks away out of embarrassment-it's definitely not what she should be thinking about, and she hears him move to the walk in closet. She slips into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She forgot how much she missed the simple tasks. She remembers to look for socks, she finds her shoes. She almost hits the bed a few times, she didn't have that much time to get used to being a vampire. She'll ask Caroline and Elijah to help her later. She has to keep her jaw shut when she sees Elijah buttoning up his shirt. He is very attractive, and he loves her and it's so strange. He adds his suit jacket and tie in a few seconds, and she wonders if she'll ever be used to using vampire speed like he is. He's wearing gray again, thank goodness. He offers his arm, and she gives him a genuine smile.

"Breakfast?" He asks, and she nods.


	27. Diner

She still is touching him, even though they're sitting at the counter of some diner, her foot is touching his, her arm is against his. One of the waitresses wonders how long they've been together. They eat breakfast, and she tells him how much she missed food, she alarms one of the waitresses when they see her take a long drink of steaming coffee. They don't say anything to them of course, not when he's already paid with a one hundred dollar bill.

"Do you have the address for Caroline's apartment?" She asks and he nods as before she takes a sip of coffee.

"I missed caffeine and coffee! I missed hot coffee and bread and pancakes! I missed pancakes." She tells him and one of the waitresses moves to refill her coffee.

"Where were you that you couldn't have coffee?" The waitress can't help but asking.

"A coma." Elena says, and the other woman's eyes widen.

"Wow. You don't hear that every day." The waitress says.

"No, you don't." Elena says.

"I never would have guessed." The waitress assures her, and Elena thanks her. They're done with breakfast and leaves. They need to go the hospital and get anything left in her room, then they'll take it to the apartment, and pack. Cars look odd to her now, but she gets in the passenger seat again, and takes a deep breath. Steps.


	28. Caroline's

AN: song for this chapter: Riptide by Vance Joy

They move the chair with ease, and pack her things easily. She hugs a few of the nurses who were there still. She thanks them, fellow vampire to vampire.

They pack suitcases at the apartment, Elena lets go of him for that, and then they're back in his car. Driving. She finds a radio station that claims to be the oldies station. She sings along with every song, her heart mourning as she does. She mourns the times she missed as she does, and Elijah doesn't mention her tears. She looks out the window as they travel, things look so different.

She fidgets the longer they're in the car, she's not fond of being still anymore. He drives faster.

She calculates every so often how long they have left until she sees Caroline again. When it's ten minutes left, she's giddy and excited and she hasn't seen her like this in literal decades. Elijah texts Caroline that they're a few minutes away. His phone beeps, but he ignores it as they look for the right number. He catches a flash of blonde hair, and he's barely parked before Elena flings the door open and sprints to Caroline. Caroline hugs her so tightly Elijah is surprised she can even breathe, but Elena cries again, tears of joy and sadness mixed up. He shuts Elena's door and walks over to them. Elena isn't being rude, her contact with Caroline wasn't always consistent. And Caroline did know her for longer. When they break apart, Caroline hugs Elijah, thanking him for keeping her best friend safe. He tells her it wasn't a problem and she looks at him with knowing eyes. She asks them to get their bags, it's time for dinner. A late dinner, she adds, but she has blood in the fridge. And, ice cream. Elena looks excited at the latter, trying to mask a yawn. Elijah texts her as she shows them around, explaining Elena's aversion to black and lack of sleep. She checks her phone discreetly, and he reads the text from earlier-it was an excited text from Caroline. She gives Elena ice cream and blood and they talk for so long that Elijah's surprised their voices work, they speak as quickly as possible. He's sitting next to them, Elena's hand in his. Her eyes start to close as Caroline yawns, and he admittedly wouldn't mind sleep either. Elena's determined, and Elijah murmurs he can control her dreams. They won't be of the inky darkness, they could be about Caroline and sunshine if she wanted. She tries to resist for ten minutes, and Caroline tells her that it's okay. It's okay, it's okay to sleep Elena, it's okay.

Elena falls asleep in between the two vampires who love her more than anyone else in the world. Save Jeremy, Caroline wants to say, but he didn't remember her well. The two vampires she sleeps between are almost the only family she has left. It's not okay, but her dreams are. And for the first time in decades, she sees color when she closes her eyes.

Elijah wakes up first, surprised at his surroundings, he almost thinks it's a dream. But it's not, and that's even more surprising. Elena is alive and breathing. No more hospital. He carefully stays in Elena's mind, hearing his voice. He's surprised, she's dreaming of him. It's a memory. They're dancing at the ball, the waltz.

He hears a loud beep, and she turns with the music, and looks at him.

"Did you hear that?" She asks.

"I-" He's ripped out of her dream, and looks at her. She's staring at him with wide eyes. They both look at Caroline making coffee.

"Sorry." She apologizes. The couple on the couch waves it off, and Elena knows she'll need to talk to Elijah about their relationship soon. She lets Caroline hand her coffee and lead her to a large closet.

"Pick a dress." The _for the funeral_ part is implied. Elena picks a dark gray dress, and Caroline nods.

"That's one of my favorite designs." She says and Elena grins, even though the day is supposed to be only tears, she can't help it. Caroline shows her to the guest bedroom and bathroom and leaves Elena alone to get ready for the day. The funeral is at ten.


	29. The End

AN: Song for this chapter: Everything I'm Not.

* * *

I am so sorry I had no idea, you guys aren't getting updates for five days I am so so sorry I had no idea that my schedule got that messed up! I'll miss you all and my computer, but I will be writing! This is the last chapter!

They're matching, Elijah notes, as her hair is straightened and her eyes sad again. Caroline fills them in on Bonnie's life, what she knew from the past few decades as she drives to the church.

Elena wonders if the uneasiness of being in a church fades with time. She asks Caroline, and Jeremy isn't in any condition to go to Bonnie's funeral, and she hasn't heard about Katherine in a while. They sit in the back, and Elena and Caroline cry to the point where Elijah wonders if vampires can cry themselves dehydrated. He did not know Bonnie very well, he knows her coven is in attendance, and he is ready at any moment to take Elena and Caroline and leave.

They follow the rest of the funeral party to the cemetery, and he drives, Caroline is too shaky to drive. He's not sure Elena remembers how to.

They watch Bonnie's coffin being lowered, the words said about death are religious and Elena wants to shout at the man saying them. She had died. Twice. Death was not like that. It was not blinding and comforting light, it was pain and darkness deeper than any ocean. Elijah holds her back, she wants a closer view but he can feel witches approaching. Caroline can too, she straightens her back.

"How dare you come here." One of the witches hisses at them.

"Caroline and Elena have a right to be here. They had been friends with her since they were children." Elijah says calmly.

"You're crimes against nature." Another one says, and the first mutters that she didn't know what Bonnie ever saw in those monsters.

Caroline has her pressed against a mausoleum.

"I don't kill." She warns before continuing.

"But don't you dare talk trash about one of my best friends. You will not like me when I am pissed." She says, and releases the witch before the rest of the coven can react.

"They loved Bonnie as you did. Please do not forget that." Elijah says, his patience being tested.

"Nasty suckers." One of them mutters before they leave.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes. Elena and Caroline came to mourn, not to be degraded.

"I wonder why Bonnie ever hung out with those witch bitches." Caroline says quietly, and then she corrects herself.

"I know why, just why them?" She asks.

"I don't know." Elijah answers honestly.

"She just wanted to fit in. A coven would have been like a family. She didn't really have anyone left after her dad died." Elena says, and Caroline nods, she knows Elena's right but the fact Bonnie stayed away from them for so long had hurt. The old wound would take time to heal.

When they leave, Caroline knows she wants to go with Elena and Elijah for what they're going to do.

"I want to see Jeremy too." She says quietly, and Elena's heart is fragile and mending, and the tears spill out.

"What if he doesn't recognize me?" She cries.

Caroline comforts her as Elijah packs. Her family is shrinking, again.

It's a long drive, and Elena talks to them the same amount, she still hasn't asked Elijah what they're doing-if they're dating or something else.

It's hard to be there, for all of them. The people, all younger by centuries than Elijah call him a young man. He's never been fond of visiting these types of places. They make him overthink.

"Hi I'm looking for Jeremy Gilbert." Elena tells the receptionist.

"Are you a family member?" The receptionist asks.

"Yeah, I'm his-" She stops for a second.

"Granddaughter." She continues. The lie hurts more than a knife ever could. The receptionist nods, and they're led to a room. Jeremy's wrinkled, his hair white.

The receptionist leaves and Elena tries not to break down again.

Elijah closes the door, and then compels him to remember, and to be calm. He knows the girls standing in front of them. Caroline and Elena, he tells the younger Gilbert.

"Elena?" He rasps and he sounds so old that she does cry.

"Bonnie's dead, Jer." She says and tears gather in his aged eyes.

"I'm so sorry I missed out on your life. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I failed, and I'm sorry. I failed at being your big sister." She says, and he shakes his head weakly."You were the best sister I ever could have asked for, Elena." He assures her, and coughs.

"Caroline." He says, after her notices her. They both hug Jeremy, carefully.

"I don't have much time left, 'Lena." He says carefully. She almost doesn't recognize his voice.

"No, don't say that." Elena begs.

"It's okay, I lived my life. I just hope you get to live yours now." He says, and the tears are steady streams down her face.

"Jeremy, please." Elena is begging him.

"I'm just glad I got to see you both one last time." He says, and thanks Caroline.

"I'm sorry I didn't appreciate you as much as I should have." He says.

"No, Jeremy, it's okay." Caroline assures him, and her tears begin too.

"Elijah." Jeremy rasps, and he's next to Elena in a flash.

"You two better take care of my sister." He warns weakly.

"We will." Elijah assures him.

"You better." Jeremy says, and then he coughs for a moment.

"I love you." He says, and Caroline feels like she's been staked, he says it like Elena did before she slipped into her coma.

"We love you too." Elena assures him, taking his wrinkled hand in hers. Then the heat leaves his hand and Elena looks around at her companions, and her body heaves with sobs as his heart stops. They have to leave, and it's a hundred miles before Elena can say anything other than tears.

"Is Matt okay?" She asks. Caroline nods.

"We still have a few decades." She tells Elena.

"Can we go back? I want to help plan his funeral. Are they on vervain?" She asks. Elijah shakes his head.

"Then turn the car around." She requests.

She compels Jeremy's wife and children to know who she is, but not to talk about her. She'll ask Elijah to wipe the memories of her away later, but she makes them bury him in Mystic Falls, where everyone else is.

Jeremy, John, Jenna, her parents, Alaric, Caroline's parents, Bonnie's family- they're all there.

She decides on his headstone.

 _Here lies Jeremy Gilbert, gifted athlete, loving father, husband and brother._

She wears black for his funeral, she wouldn't mind being swallowed by the darkness for a while-something that alarms Elijah and Caroline. She cries at the funeral service, and leaves flowers on his grave. She asks his family, she can't refer to them as hers, she doesn't know them-she asks him what he was like, and Caroline tells her, once they've talked to her and had their memories erased-that she has the recordings of Jeremy. She has his entire life in digital files. They stay in Mystic Falls after she puts flowers on everyone's graves, Caroline sits and talks to her parents. Elena sits by her parents too, like so long ago. She tells them a summary of her life, and that she misses them. It's been really hard without them. And she continues at each headstone, telling her family what they missed, what she thinks would make them proud. She checks on her house, Jeremy refused to touch it. It's still in fairly good shape, Elijah asks if she wants him to rebuild it, exactly as it was. No, she shakes her head. Then it wouldn't be the same house. She vows to return in a year and clean it out. She'll tear it down when it's so old that it isn't worth fixing, and build another house there. Maybe someday they'll come back to Mystic Falls, she says, and he likes that she doesn't see a foreseeable end to their being together.

They drive back to Caroline's apartment, she needs to move back to Paris, she says, but she gives Elena boxes of her things and copies of Jeremy. Elena hugs her, and they promise to keep in touch. They have forever, after all. They go to New Orleans for a while, and Elena asks him what he wants her to call their relationship. They've kissed a few times and they love each other but-

"You could call me your husband." He offers, as he gets down on one knee. Rebekah is sure that bats hundred of miles away can hear Elena's shrieking.

"Yes! Yes, a thousand times over, yes!" She says and he picks her up and smiles. He's happier than he's ever remembered being in his very long life. She's still healing-he sits with her and watches all of Jeremy's recordings, it's okay to cry, she tells herself. It's okay.

Their wedding is quiet, Caroline and the Mikaelsons are make up most of the attendees, and it's okay. Steps, Elena tells herself as she walks down the aisle. Klaus shrugs after Elena tells him Caroline isn't interested. He backs off, to their surprise. Not long after, they buy a house in England, much to Caroline's excitement, and they have a place of their own, for their own things.

They visit Mystic Falls every few years, their first trip is just cleaning. Elena donates several things to the Mystic Falls Historical Society, and she knows, one day the house will come down. It's okay. She sees Stefan, now a lawyer for vampires only, it was Elijah's advice, he admits to Elena, and introduces her to a girl he's been with for a few decades. She looks nothing like Elena, and she wishes them well. Damon runs a bourbon empire, he tells her when she sees him on a street one day. He looks happy. She's glad he found happiness too.

She sees Caroline frequently, and they visit Matt every few weeks after a decline in his health. He dies too, and it's okay. Everyone dies and everything has a time to die.

But as she looks at Caroline and Elijah, she knows hers won't be for a very long time.

* * *

finis


End file.
